Pettyjohn & Criswell Break Hagerstown Bank

“My guys were telling me someone was on me but I never saw him (Stone),” Pettyjohn said. “I’m just glad we made it to the end, glad to get this one in, believe me. All these guys worked their butts off, we needed this.”

Steve Wilbur took the super sportsman lead from the outside pole but fourth starter, Criswell powered by off the fourth turn of the second lap and began singing “Catch me if you can.”

By the fifth lap, Criswell was all but three seconds ahead and opening track space on Wilbur each time around.

Criswell was 3.88 seconds ahead and into the rear of the field on lap 12 when the caution waved and he quickly took off when the field returned to green.

With five to go, he had stretched his lead to 3.4 seconds over Wilbur and pole sitter Duane Smith and Dave Socks with Socks taking third with three to go. That was all erased when several cars got together in turn four with one lap remaining.

Wilbur had a final shot but he could only see Criswell speed away in the final circuit to take the win by 1.25 seconds ahead of him as Socks, Gregg Foster and Smith were next.

“It really is a pleasure to win here at Hagerstown Speedway, this is my home track,” Criswell said. “I work here in Hagerstown and live right across the river in Martinsburg so we love coming here and racing and love to be back.”

“I have to thank my parents and grandparents and everybody for sticking by me for so long. I have to thank everyone on the crew. I did the easy part out there. They really put the car together and made it work.”